Recording and Reproducing Apparatus

1. A recording and reproducing apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a recording medium and a cartridge memory inside a cartridges, wherein a copy of control information memorized in said cartridge memory is recorded in said recording medium, wherein the control information memorized in said cartridge memory is compared with the control information recorded in said recording medium, thereby a recording or reproducing operation of said apparatus is based on the compared result.

2. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a password is memorized in said cartridge memory in advance and an authentication is made with said password being input through an external input means, thereby a recording or reproducing operation of said apparatus is selected based on the authenticated result.

3. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when control information memorized in said cartridge memory and control information recorded in said recording medium accord, said recording medium is recorded and reproduced, and wherein when the control information memorized in said cartridge memory and the control information recorded in said recording medium do not accord, said recording medium is initialized or only reproduced.

4. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein when control information memorized in said cartridge memory and control information recorded in said recording medium accord, said recording medium is recorded and reproduced, and wherein when the control information memorized in said cartridge memory and the control information recorded in said recording medium do not accord, said recording medium is initialized or only reproduced.

5. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when control information memorized in said cartridge memory and control information recorded in said recording medium do not accord, the control information recorded in said recording medium is written in the cartridge memory.

6. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein when control information memorized in said cartridge memory and control information recorded in said recording medium do not accord, the control information recorded in said recording medium is written in the cartridge memory.

7. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when control information memorized in said cartridge memory cannot be read, said recording medium is only reproduced.

8. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein when control information memorized in said cartridge memory cannot be read, said recording medium is only reproduced.

9. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when said cartridge memory is changed, control information recorded in said recording medium is written in a changed cartridge memory.

10. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein when said cartridge memory is changed, control information recorded in said recording medium is written in a changed cartridge memory.

11. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said recording medium is a magnetic tape.

12. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said recording medium is an optical recording tape.

13. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said control information is recorded at a top portion of longitudinal direction of said magnetic tape.

14. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said control information is recorded at a top portion of longitudinal direction of said magnetic tape.

15. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein information not updated in said control information is recorded at a top portion of longitudinal direction of said magnetic tape, and wherein information updated in said control information is recorded at a portion other than the top portion of longitudinal direction of said magnetic tape.

16. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein information not updated in said control information is recorded at a top portion of longitudinal direction of said magnetic tape, and wherein information updated in said control information is recorded at a portion other than the top portion of longitudinal direction of said optical recording tape.

17. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 11 , herein when recording said control information, the control information is recorded at a position of said magnetic tape determined in advance.

18. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein when recording said control information, the control information is recorded at a position of said optical recording tape determined in advance.

19. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein when said control information is dividedly recorded, the control information is recorded at a position of said magnetic tape determined in advance corresponding to content of the control information.

20. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein when data recorded in said magnetic tape and said control information have a connection, the control information connecting with the data is recorded at a position neighboring the connecting data.

21. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the control information memorized in said cartridge memory and the control information recorded in said recording medium accord, said recording medium is recorded and reproduced, and wherein when the control information memorized in said cartridge memory and the control information recorded in said recording medium do not accord, said recording medium is initialized or only reproduced.

22. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the control information memorized in said cartridge memory and the control information recorded in said recording medium do not accord, the control information recorded in said recording medium is written in the cartridge memory.

23. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the control information memorized in said cartridge memory cannot be read, said recording medium is only reproduced.